Tandem draft-rigging



G. (J. LEWIS-. TANDEM DRAFT meme.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3i, I916- RENEWED MAY 9,1918.

. 5 {Q fi Y 1 I E M M H O H W w n A K 7c V. .B 0 fl 0 N 4 n W 3 W 1 Patented May 18, 1920.

G. O. LEWIS. TANDEM DRAFT meme.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-31, 1916. RENEWED MAY 9. l9l8.

Patented May 18, 1920.

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W ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.- eooimlcn e. LEWIS, or WHnAron, ILLInoIs, nssrenon 'ro wrnnraiu r1. ivrnina on CRAZY, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent. v

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed January 31, 1916, Serial No. 75,309. Renewed May 9, 1918. Serial No. 233,608.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GOODRIOH Q. Lewis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheaton, in thecounty of Du Page and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tandem Draft-Riggings, of which the following is a full, .clear, concise, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification; 7

This invention relates to improvements in tandem draft riggings, and more particu larly to the side castings employed therein.

Objects of the invention are to provide a side casting for tandem draft riggings having great strength, long life, so designed that it will be free from casting and annealing strains, relatively easy and cheap to manufacture, and wherein the web and other parts of the casting are of substantially uniform thickness. I

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide novel means for supporting a follower carrying strap by means of short bolts which are readily removable.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combination of the parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal, central, vertical, sectional view of a car showing my improvement in connection therewith, the parts of the gear being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, horizontal, sectional View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 and taken substantially on the line 22 thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevation and top plan views, respectively, of one of the side castings. And Figs. 6 and 7 are detail, vertical, sectional views of the casting taken substan tially on the lines 6-6 and 7-7, respectively, of Fig. 4..

In said drawing, 10-10 denote channel center sills of a car underframe arranged in the usual manner, the latter having secured thereto and on their inner faces V shaped plates 11-11, the latter being substantially deeper than the sills and having their upper flanges extended inwardlyand their lower flanges extended outwardly, said plates 11-11 extending from the body bol ster'12 to the end sill 18 and abutting the latter with the transverse flanges 141 1.

Said plates. 11-11 are shown as connected at the top by a transversely extending horizontal plate 15.

Secured to the inner face of eachof' the plates 11-11 is a tandem side casting which I have designated generally by the reference A, the latter having the usual number of main stops and also limiting stops as hereinafter more specifically described. Cooperable with the side castings A-A are the usual members of a tandem draft gear com prising front and rear followers 16-16, and intermediate followers 17-17; tandem arranged springs 18-18; yoke strap 19 having a center post or thimble 20, all four faces of which are preferably'rounded'; and draw-bar 21.

Each casting A is provided with a main front follower stop 22, a rear main follower stop 23 and front and rear intermediate follower stops 2& and 25. Intermediate each set of main follower stops each casting A is provided with a limiting stop 26, each of the latter, of course, having a front and a rear shoulder to limit the movement of the respective followers and prevent setting or over-compression of the springs.

As clearly appears from the horizontal cross section in Fig. 2, the respective front, rear, and center or intermediate main follower stops and also the limiting stops are formed by vertically extending or upright bendsor convolutions in the web of the casting. The casting also has provided in the web thereof, and located between each main follower stop or shoulder and adjacent limiting stop shoulder, horizontal bends or convolutions 28-28 which extend between the stops but not across the same. Those horizontal convolutions or bends which appear as depressions when looking at the inner face of the casting, provide seats for rivets 29-29 by which the casting is secured to the Z plates 11-11. At its front end, each of the castings A is provided with an inwardly extending transverse flange 30 which is Z adapted to abut the end sill.

At the center or intermediate post of each casting, the inner face thereof, which is formed by the web of the casting, has portions thereof cut awayas indicated by the substantially rectangular openings Extending between the shoulders or stops 24-25 of the center post of the casting are horizontal strengthening and bracing ribs 32-32 and a lower flange 33. As clearly appears from Figs. l and 5, the cutaway portions of the inner face of the center post of the casting are so located as to leave wide bearing and Wearing faces 3% along the inner edges of the ribs 32 and also along the inner edgesof the top and bottom flangesof the casting at ,that point, as indicated at 357-35- By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the veb of ,thccasting at the main front and rear follower stops or shoulders isextended, each instance, a short distance toward the ,adjacentend of the casting as indicated at 6 and 37, whereby comparatively Wide, vertically extending, bearing and wearing faces are provided at these points also. For strength, each casting is provided With horizontally extending ribs SSS--38 between the front shoulder 22 and end flange .30, and ribs 39-89 from the rear shoulder 23 ,to the rear end of the casting. Short intermediate horizontal strengthening ribs 4:07.40 may also be provided for the rear stop shoulder, as clearly indicated in Figs. eland 7.

In order to support the followers and properly guide the same, follower carrying straps e lll are provided, the latter being secured. at their ends by means ofshort bolts $2 742 which are 1n united in transversely extending, substantially T shaped slots 43% formed at the bottoms .of the front and rear stop shoulders :22 and At the center .of the casting, Where it is always necessary to support the follower strap, the bottom flange 33 ,of the casting is provided with a perforation 4.1 adapted to receive the short center bolt 4:5. In order to be able to insert and remove the bolt d5, ,the lower horirgoiltal rib 3%- is provided with an elongated slot e6 located above the peril)- ggtion so that the bolt 4:) may be inserted through the lmverniest rectangular opening 31 in a horizo tal position, then tilted to, 3-1 v rti iel nesitien w th the head passng through the slot 46 and then dropped 'vel'tlcally into the perforation By this arrapgement, the strength of the casting at the center post is maintained, particularlv at bottom thereof since there is no out .or ppening in the inner face ,and also the lower wearing and bearing surface on the nner face of the ,centcr post is maintained. it the same time, I am enabled to use a short bolt and to readily insert and reinove the same Whenever desired. It will also be noted that on account of the center bolt being mounted in a perforation. the follower car ying trap nno work ff laterally a cidentitlly even. shou the ends be om looset e mp th eo ea h as ing A i protaper or somewhat broken as vidcd with a combined follower guiding and strengthening flange at? which extends over and closes the tops of all the main and limiting stops. And in this connection, it will be noted that said flange 47 decreases in Width from the center of the casting toward each end thereof, the contour of the edge of said flange 4L7 being either a straight indicated in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the depth of the center post of the casting is considerably more than the depth of the end stops or shoulders so that the center .post or stop of the casting serves as a pivot or fulcrum for the thinible .of the yoke .to swing about and the tapering upper guide flange 47 serves a similar function for the upper arm of the yoke strap. By retaining the inner Wearing and bearing'face of the center post of the casting for the thiinble to rock on and by providing an elongated tapering surface for the yoke arm to .bear against, the life of ,thecasting and also of the yoke and gear is lengthened.

By referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the inner faces of the limiting stops 26 are curved as indicated at 48 to more nearly conform to the shape of the springs and to maintain the latter in proper position. Lac-l1 casting is also provided with horizontal strengthening ribs 49 and 50 on the rear face thereof, as indicated in Fig. 4. To prevent spreading of the sills l0 and Z plates 11, transversely extending tie plates 51 vand 52 are provided, the latter being .detachably connected to the lower flanges {If the plates ll-Tell as by bolts and lJ shaped clips 54.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that the casting which I have provided has all the parts thereof of substantially the same thickness throughout, thereby minimizing casting strains and annealing strains when the castings are rendered malleable, 13y vertical convolutions in the Web of the casting, great strength is obtained and at the same tim large bear g sur aces are provided on the inner side of the casting. The horizontal .convolutions also .add to the strength of the casting against transverse bending or buckling strains,

I claim;

1. A tandem gear side casting having fr nt, rear and center main stops, each having); inner bearing surfaces, the front and rear stops being provided with open slots at their lower ends to receive short bolts for uppe ing th nds o a o lower c rying strap, the center stop having the lower flange perforated to receive a bolt therethrough and a horizontal rib spaced above sai flange. said rib being provided with an elongated slo an the nne fa e of said ente top having an open ng betw s d o er flange forming the stops by means of and said rib, whereby a short bolt may be inserted through said opening, then tilted with its head through said slot in the rib and finally dropped vertically down into said perforation in the lower flange.

2. A side casting for draft riggings having a hollow stop with a flange at the bottom thereof, said flange being perforated to receive a bolt, said stop having also a horizontal rib spaced above said flange and within the stop, said rib being slotted, the inner face of said stop being provided with an opening located between said lower flange and horizontal rib, whereby a short bolt may be inserted horizontally through said opening, 15 then tilted vertically with its head through the slot in said rib, and finally dro ped vertically into the perforation in tie lower flange.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I 20 have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of Jan, 1916.

GOODRICH Q. LEWIS.

Witness ELIZABETH M. BRITT. 

